Cranberry Pork Chops

I haven't tried this one yet either, but I will! Click on the recipe and it will enlarge it (and be easier to print).

Jerk Chicken Salad (Pampered Chef)

This is more of a summer dish, but i had green onions, a red pepper, and a pineapple in my bountiful basket and thought this would be perfect! IT IS DELICIOUS!!

shopping list
1 TBSP Garlic Oil or Olive Oil
1 TBSP Jamaican Jerk Rub (you can purchase this from the pampered chef or just use your favorite spice... I was out of the JJR when I made it and it still tasted great with other spices.)
1 lb. chicken tenders
1 medium pineapple
3 green onions (white and light green parts only)
2 heads romaine lettuce**
1 can black beans
6 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
2 limes
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 TBSP pineapple preserves (or pineapple/apricot) if anyone wants to make this dish i have a whole jar of pineapple preserves and you can have some...

Stove top
Mix together oil and spice.
Add chicken tenders; mix well to coat and set aside.
Slice pineapple into 1/4 in. slices.
Heat up your grill pan over med. heat.
Add chicken; cook 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove.
Add pineapple to pan. Cook 1 minute on each side. Remove.

Vegetables
Thinly slice Bell Pepper and Green Onions
Wash and chop lettuce. (for nice display, arrange 12 large leaves around a large serving platter, to serve salad in.)
Drain and rinse beans.

Dressing
Juice 2 limes.
Zest one lime; add to juice.
Add 1/3 c. mayo
Add 2 TBSP. preserves
mix well.

Directions
Layer chopped lettuce, beans, bell pepper, chicken, pineapple, bacon and green onions over each lettuce leaf. Drizzle dressing over salad.

**You can substitute the salad with pasta, which is how I prefer it. DELISH!

ALSO, I forgot to thaw the bacon when I made it, it still tasted great. I think the key ingredient here is the dressing. :)

ENJOY!

Beef Sub

Here is a sandwich that I like to make when I don't want to cook that is easy.

Ingredients:
French Bread (You can also buy french bread with rosemary or any other variety)
Roast Beef
Provalone Cheese Slices
Mayo
Mushrooms and bell peppers (optional)

I just slice the bread in half and spread mayo on both sides. Then place the roast beef on the bread and top with the cheese slices. You can saute sliced mushrooms in oil or butter if you want. Then I toast the sandwich in the oven shortly until the cheese melts and the meat is warm.

You can serve this with fruit, salad, or chips.
Tiana

really really good minestrone soup

This is one of those recipes that is very easy, but makes you look brilliant in the kitchen!!

Minestrone Soup

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. sliced celery
1 onion, diced
1 quart bottled tomatoes
1 quart water
2 large carrots, cut into coins
2 (80z.) cans tomato sauce
2 T. vegetable seasoning
1 T. parsley (dried)
1/2 tsp. ground basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 can cooked garbanzo beans
1 can cooked green beans
1 can cooked kidney beans
1 1/2 cup mostacioli macaroni (uncooked)

Brown the hamburger and onion. Add the seasoning. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and vegetables. Bring to a boil. Simmer until veggies are cooked (15 to 20 minutes). Add pasta and cook until soft. (15 to 20 minutes)

Serve and ENJOY

Chicken Curry

This is a quick, and delicious recipie. (My kids even like it)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp oil
1 small onion
4 chicken breasts (you can leave them whole or cut them into cubes)
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 c. raisins
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp sugar

Saute the onions in the oil. Add the chicken and brown on both sides. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes or until chicken is done. If the sauce becomes to thick add a little more water.

I serve it over rice (That I cook in the microwave while the chicken is simmering)

2 meals from one!

So after I made the Hawaiian Haystack recipe (see below), I used the leftover chicken gravy mixture in Chicken enchilada's. I am tellin' ya'...it was really good! I do have to say that I would have liked the sauce to be a little thicker for the Hawaiian Haystacks ( I think next time I will only add one cup of milk to the country gravy mix), but it was still good. Anyway...back to the Chicken Enchiladas. This is what I did:



I added another can of Cream of Chicken soup to the leftover chicken gravy mixture.

I added some cumin and stirred it together, and then layered it between flour tortillas and cheese in a 9x13 pan. (I just lay the tortillas flat, starting with some chicken gravy mixture, then a tortilla, then more sauce, then cheese, then repeat). End with cheese on top of course and bake it at 365 degrees til' it's heated through. Then for the last few minutes, I turn on the broiler and it gets the cheese brown and bubbly and delicious. Serve it with a green salad, corn and refried beans mixed with a little salsa and there you have it! It was so yummy and made my weeknight meal planning and cooking a whole lot easier. I went to the store last night and got more ingredients to make it again! I hope someone else gets to enjoy these yummy recipes!

Awesome Hawaiian Haystacks!

So I tried a new recipe tonight for a chicken gravy that can go over rice, potatoes or noodles by itself, or can be the start of Hawaiian Haystacks. We had it as part of Hawaiian Haystacks tonight! I will try to remember the exact recipe:

1 10 oz. can Cream of Chicken Soup
6-8 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used canned chicken breast...3 cans.)
1 small can diced, green chiles
1 package Country Gravy Mix
2 cups milk

Mix the soup and chiles together and pour over chicken (in crockpot).
Mix the milk and Country Gravy mix together and pour over soup and chiles mixture
Stir together and Cook either on high for 1 hour (which is what I did), or on low for 3 hours.

We serve it over steamed rice with:
Grated Cheese
Coconut
Pineapple Chunks
Orange Segments
Diced Celery
Diced tomato
Chow Mien Noodles
and sometimes Green Bell Pepper

It was so good!

Turkey tortilla soup use up that leftover turkey!

For the Tortilla Strips-

6 corn tortillas cut into strips
2 tbl. olive oiil
salt to taste.

For The Soup-

2cups onions
1 cup frozen corn
1 tbl. minced garlic
1 jalapeño diced
2 tbl. olive oil
1 tbl. tomatoe paste
1 tbl. chipotle chilies in adobe sauce ( I couldn't find this ingredient any where so I just used roasted peppers from a jar and some chipotle seasoning)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
4 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes in juices (14.5 oz)
2 cups cooked turkey, chopped
1 cup canned black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
2 tbl. minced fresh cilantro
juice of half of a lime


Toppings-
shredded cheese
sour cream
sliced avocado
tortilla strips

Prehat oven 400
toss tortilla strips in oil arrange on baking sheet bake until crisp 12- 14 min. season with salt set aside

saute onions, corn, garlic and jalapeno in 2 tbl. oil in a large pot. Stir in tomatoe paste, chipotles and seasoning. cook 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes, turkey, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 min. Finish soup with scallions, cilantro, lime juice and salt to taste.
top each serving with your choice of toppings

this has a long ingredient list but it taste great! beats cold turkey sandwiches on a cold day.
makes about 8 cups total time 50 min.

Chicken Lo-Mein

1 lb Chicken, cut into bit size pieces
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cut celery, chopped
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup snow peas
Stir-fry sauce (any kind you want)
1/2 lb angel hair pasta, cooked & drained
soy sauce
vegetable oil

Drizzle oil in hot pan and add chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook through. Remove chicken and set aside. Add onions, carrots, celery. Cook to desired doneness. I like mine a little crunchy. Add chicken, mushrooms, snow peas, stir-fry sauce and pasta. Mix well and heat through. Add soy sauce if desired.

It's quick and super yummy! You can add any veggies you like. Also, you can leave out the noodles and serve over rice! Just as yummy! My family LOVES this! We hardly ever have any left overs.

Chicken Salad

This is a great and easy lunch to make for you, your kids, your husband, a lunch date, whatever.

Ingredients:
Canned Chicken (it doesn't have to be, if you want to cook and cube it or if you have left over, that will work too)
Mayonnaise
whatever else you choose, I like:
tart apples
green onions
slivered almonds
lemon pepper seasoning
garlic salt
pepper
other ideas are:
peppers
raisins
grapes
shredded carrots
cheese

Mix it all together to a consistency you like and serve on a sandwich or with cheese and crackers. You could use a cookie cutter to cut out the sandwich and maybe the kids will be more willing to try something new. You can serve it right away, but it does taste a little better when you put it in the fridge for a while and let all the flavors mix.

Enjoy!!!

Laura

Shrimp Verde (mexican dish)

I watched my husbands Hispanic grandmother make this and it is one of my favorites!!! No cooking involved, so its great for hot summer days.

1 pound of pre-cooked shrimp
lots of tomatoes
cilantro
white onions
lemon juice
1 jalapeño pepper
1 avocado (optional)
Salt and Pepper

Put shrimp (tail off) into big bowl pore lemon juice on top of shrimp...juice should almost completely cover shrimp. Put in fridge, leave in fridge for several hours..or 20 minutes whatever your schedule is.

about 20 minutes before dinner roughly chop tomatoes and avocado, dice onions and jalapeño. Tear off cilantro leaves. pour everything into bowl with shrimp and lemon juice stir and salt and pepper to taste.

Eat with chips or tostada shells (homemade is best) or a no carb meal eat it alone.

this is not an exact science recipe..adapt it to your family's tastes.

TIP: Can't get jalapeño pepper off of your fingers? Wet finger tips then dip in salt let it soak for a minute then wash off. salt draws the pepper juice off of skin.

Fabulous Breakfast Casserole

This is a GREAT recipe for Christmas morning, but it's good all year long!

Ham & Egg Casserole

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz cooked ham….strips (deli)
1 ¾ cup milk
8 eggs beaten
3 cups mozzarella cheese
¼ cup melted margarine
½ cup flour
2 Tbs. fresh parsley

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl, lightly toss the cheeses together. Sprinkle half the cheese in 13x9 baking dish. Arrange ham strips over the layer of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese over ham.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup….level off. Using wire wisk, blend flour, milk, parsley and eggs. Pour over layers in baking dish.
Bake 35-40 minutes.

HAPPY EATING!

Easy Baked Pepper Chicken

6 uncooked chicken breasts
2 cups thinly sliced onion and peppers
2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. basil
1/4 cup olive oil, seperated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a deep baking pan (9x13) with foil - this will make for a quick clean up- and seal in the heat. Drizzle the foil layer with 1/2 of the olive oil to avoid sticking. Sprinkle foil with half onions, peppers, and seasonings. Put the chicken on top of the layer of onions and peppers. Place remaining onions, peppers, and seasonings on top of the chicken.

**Important: cover teh pan with another layer of foil, and seal the sides. Bake 30-45 min, or until the center of the chicken is no longer pink.
***This will be the juiciest, most tender chicken you have ever made. No knife needed!!

Serve over rice and sauteed vegetables or make into FAJITAS (my favorite)

Another Mexican-ish Idea

This one is in one of my Pampered Chef books, and its cheap and easy and I love it!
(And I'm not going to copy word for word...so I'm just gonna go on memory here.)

Make cornbread (you want it kind of thin, I use my bar pan) (I use two pkgs, because the bar pan is large)

Then while that is in the oven:

Combine:
2 cans of refried beans
a clove of garlic
a TBS or 2 of taco seasoning

After the cornbread has cooled off a little bit, spread the bean mixture over the cornbread.

Then top it off with:
cheese
green peppers
black olives
tomatoes
and a little sour cream

Swiss Chicken Casserole

I have a bunch of slow cooker recipes that are awesome! This one for Swiss Chicken Casserole is easy and so yummy!

6 Chicken Breasts
6 Slices Swiss Cheese
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 Cup milk
2 Cups Stuffing Mix
1/4-1/2 Cup Melted Butter

Lightly grease slow cooker. Place chicken in pot and top with cheese. Combine soup and milk. Pour in slow cooker. Sprinkle with stuffing mix and pour melted butter on top. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. (I always cook it on high and it turns out great!)
Posted by Ranee

All My Favorites

OK, here is a quick meal idea for those nights that you need something fast and it is actually quite good. It is a copy of the KFC "All My Favorites" dish (Is that it's name?). I got the idea from Erica Orosz and have used it several times.

Ingredients

Instant Potatoes
Frozen Popcorn Chicken
Corn
Gravy (I like the McCormick packets)

Cook according to the individual directions and layer!

LAURA :o)

Alice Springs Chicken

Alice Springs Chicken
Submitted by: Tiana Gray


This is a recipe that is very close to a dish at Outback Steakhouse. I used to work there and loved the food.

-1/4 cup or grey poupon or other store brand type
-1/4 cup of honey
-1 teaspoon of olive oil
-1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
-2 chicken breasts
-1/2 Tablespoon of oil
-1 cup of mushrooms
-butter
-salt and pepper
-4 slices of bacon
-1/2 cup of cheddar
-1/2 cup of monteray jack

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in small bowl and whip for 30 seconds.
Pour over chicken and marinate for one hour. (This doesn't look good
at all but it will taste good on the chicken later)
2. Cook chicken and bacon in a skillet till done.
3. Remove from skillet and saute sliced mushrooms in butter until tender.
4. Arrange bacon, mushrooms, then cheese on top of the chicken and
sprinkle with parsley.
5. Bake in oven till cheese has melted.
6. Then you can serve with this with:
- french fries with monteray jack and cheddar cheese and leftover
bacon sprinkled on the top with ranch dressing.
(this is really good and is known as cheese fries at Outback- tip: use
fast food fries) YUM!
-steamed vegetables
-baked or mashed potatoes
-salad
Other Tip: Use fresh mushrooms instead of canned and they taste much better I think. You can saute them in your skillet with a little garlic and butter or oil.
-Also, you may be able to find honey mustard dressing to subsitute in this recipe.